A year group at Ballakermeen High School have raised more than £1,000 for the Red Cross’s efforts in Ukraine, with one tutor group also sending their own supplies to the country.

Amy Shelton, tutor of the year 11 (aged 15 and 16) class, said the students had been moved by the events taking place in Ukraine, and the entire school year agreed that something should be done to help.

The class thought about the needs of a refugee and collected camping gear, clothes and baby items to send to the Ukraine border via Manx Support Refugees and the Joey Dunlop Foundation.

After voting on which organisation to raise funds for, the Red Cross was chosen and money came from a sunflower competition (the national flower of Ukraine) and badge sale, and by holding a Mother’s Day raffle, bake sale (with Ukranian flag themed cakes) and a ‘milkshake bar’ in school.

Amie Mitchell of the Red Cross was invited in to receive the cheque and give an assembly where she explained the charity’s work in the island and Ukraine, expressing her gratitude and giving ‘a huge thank you’ to everyone involved.

Ms Shelton told the Courier: ‘ I am incredibly proud of my students for everything they have achieved. Their compassion for those struggling in Ukraine has given them enormous drive and their entrepreneurial mind-set has allowed them to hold some very successful events.

‘We are hugely grateful to everyone who has supported us, especially in the business community. We are truly humbled to see the work that the Red Cross, Joey Dunlop Foundation and others are undertaking, helped in part by our donation.’

Head teacher Adrienne Burnett said: ‘In these challenging times for both businesses and families, it was heart-warming to see the whole community, at short notice, rally around our young people and want to support them in making a difference to those in Ukraine who are suffering. We are very fortunate to live on this wonderful and compassionate island’.

One of the students, George Booth, said: ‘After reading about what the Ukrainians’ had to go through to flee the conflict I knew what we were doing would be very important’.

‘I [wanted to help] so the refugees can be in a better situation than they are now and can feel safer,’ said Alisha Callow.